Huge 4 game road trip starts with the second worse team in the league. would be nice to see a breakout in scoring

Salo is Day to Day with a groin (anyone have a better update?)
Mitchell out with a fractured vertabra
Krajicek is still out with a shoulder injury
Bieksa out with a lacerated calf
Morrison out with a wrist surgery recovery

Vancouver Canucks announced that left wing Jason Jaffray, defenceman Luc Bourdon and right wing Mike Brown have been recalled from the Manitoba Moose

Tampa are a weak team, but only in the sense that their defence and goaltending are extremely porous. If Luongo has any rust tonight we'll have to be able to score 4 or 5 goals as their offence is extremely potent.

Kesler is the X factor tonight, if he can shut down Vinny and Marty then this SHOULD be a cake-walk. If not, we could be in for a long night.

Tampa's had their share of problems with Boyle suffering a freak accident and severing a tendon in his wrist, as well Brad Richards has discovered he's being playing with mononucleosis. Only Prospal, Lecavalier and St. Louis are having good seasons for them. Free agent signings Jan Hlavic and Andre Oullet have been busts for Tampa. The Lightning must know a loss tonight would all but eliminate them from the playoffs. They're getting to a point where they'll have too far to be able to catch up. They'll be desperate, but desperate teams sometimes make plenty of mistakes. The Canucks still hold a playoff spot and control their destiny.